Chapter 25: End
I Love You
The end of summer has come and everyone is at the beach today, well except for a certain blonde.
Today is the Fireworks Festival, a summer ender. People have gathered there to prepare things for the festival when the clock strikes at 6 o'clock in the evening. Kai preparing for the foods he's going to give out with Popuri and Elli, Mary and strangely, Karen attaching some colorful streamers, Saibara and Gray with the fireworks, Cliff, Rick, Trent and Ann, gathering woods for the bonfire, Manna and Duke transporting different kinds of wines and Stu and May playing by the sand.
They are all excited for the festival tonight, with the food, gathering by the big beach bonfire and mostly watching the fireworks with their families and loved ones. For them, besides the Starry Night Festival and New Year's Festival, this is the biggest highlight and must see whenever you are in Mineral Town.
While the locals getting theirselves prepare with the festival, Claire kept herself busy with her farm. The blonde had planned to help with the preparations and let her harvest sprites friends to take care of her farm but she seemed to abandoned that thought.
She saw Karen by the beach, not so far away. They made eye contact but Claire ran back to her farm and kept herself by petting and talking to her sheep and cows. The reason she did that is that the blonde wanted to avoid conflict and at the same time to avoid Karen.
It was still awkward. In the two months have passed, the blonde farmer could guess that Karen is still angry- no- hates her now. A woman of Karen's caliber is infamous for holding an incredibly grudge for their rival in love and this is what Claire wanted to avoid as much as possible but, Love isn't something that can't be oppressed that easily, right?
"Heck! Besides a person's belongings, two people can share one person nowadays... Geez." she hissed while brushing her cow.
But who would have thought that she'll fall in love, to him of all men she had met? No, not her. It surprised Claire, she felt it the moment she had come back to town to fulfill her promise to a person she once do not remember. The blonde might have guessed by now that it was, quote-unquote, "Love at First Sight", now that she had turned into an adult.
I guess that I'm a person who believes at love at first sight.
The blonde let out a frustrated sigh and looked at her watch, "Damn, 7 more hours."
- ooo -
"Hey, have you seen Claire?" Ann shook her head, "No, not even a single strand of her hair is sighted near the beach."
"That's odd. Claire said herself that she's going to help."
"It's a mystery!" the waitress said while mimicking a magician after his magic trick.
Kai was by the beach looking around, searching for the blonde. He took a break from cooking the foods and let Elli do the rest, with Popuri providing help, away from the stove, pan and seasonings.
The tanned man was thinking of asking her tonight before some people do. It is his chance to make the tables turn around. But it will not be easy.
As they say, it was obvious that they love each other but the two of them never said anything to each about how they felt. Since it was that way, any man will think that it is a perfect opportunity to make things to his favor.
Kai just love taking dangerous opportunity, whether the chance is at 100 or 0 and for this, his chance is slim, slimmer than a hot supermodel.
The other reason why he wants to ask her is because Claire never saw how spectacular and astonishing the fireworks are and Kai wants that he'll be the one to show that to her.
"I must ask her quickly, before I-know-who asks her." he mumbled.
Popuri's ear was sticking out of the curtain of Kai's shack, listening to whatever he was saying to himself. After what he just mumbled, Rick's sister silently snuck out and went to her brother.
He was resting by the corner with his eyes closed, without his glasses. She silently shuffled her feet to him and poked him to wake him up.
"What?" he cracked open an eye.
Popuri looked behind her and to her brother, "Bro, you need to find and ask her now if I were you or else Kai's gonna beat you into it."
He sat up and stole a glance at Kai. The tanned man seemed like he's spacing out, thinking about his move to Claire. Rick narrowed his eyes, not saying anything.
Kai is notorious for being a mixture of a Casanova and a playboy, in a kind of way. Always dating girls to past time he says but this time it's different, nobody knows what he will do whether Claire accepts his feelings or not. Rick can't help but to strategize his move.
"Bro, you don't need to plan on how." she gave her brother a smile, "Just show up at her farm and ask her."
"Asking her about the festival is that easy? Is that even going to work? And if, how do you know it's going to work?"
Popuri pfft-ed, "Because I'm a girl? And," she leaned, "because Claire doesn't care for grand gestures." his sister whispered.
She's right. Even though Claire is from a rich family, she is just a simple but extraordinary girl and that made him draw to her.
"You're right Pop. Thanks."
She gave him a smug smile, "I know I'm right, took you long enough to realize."
-ooo-
"Hey Claire, I just wanted you to know that we're done."
The blonde farmer looked beside her, "Thanks Chef, your help is much appreciated. See yah later, alligator."
"Alligator?! Where?!" shouted the violet harvest sprite and jumped.
Claire giggled. She's once alone in her farm. The blonde is lying on her back under the shade that is casted by her great apple tree. Her hair sprawled on the grass and she's gazing at the blue summer sky, thinking of something to past the time or to make her sleepy.
"I wonder what Rick is doing..." she mumbled to herself.
Rick, he was the first person that had come to her mind. It could have been Kai, Popuri, Ann, Gray, Cliff, Mary, even Karen, but it was his name and face that had appeared on her mind.
Maybe that is because she loves him.
Claire doesn't have any idea when it comes to love and romance, just like a sheltered child. She laughed at a memory back when she was in high school. The blonde once attended a public school, most of her female classmates are in a relationship already and there are 3 males courting her but Claire is really oblivious, making her admirers give up on her. Because of that, she bought lots of romance novel from a book sale that made her stay up all night reading each book, and made Yuu angry at her at the same time.
She finished all of the books that filled her room but no matter how many books Claire has read, it was useless. It made her wonder why, maybe she's too young to be attracted to any boy.
Now she knows why, all it takes is a promise and a devious runaway chicken realize to know what love is.
She looked at her watch, "At least I wasted 2 hours of thinking something and doing something."
"May I intrude?"
The world for Claire stopped as she saw the person she's longing to see and so is for Rick. Her cheeks glowed and the blonde gave him a smile, she sat up and pat the grass, telling him to sit beside her. They sat together under the apple tree, shoulder to shoulder. Rick asks her what she was doing earlier.
"Oh, just lying on my back. Thinking some things to past time."
"Things?"
She inched herself from Rick, "Things about from my childhood." the blonde smiled, "Memories on which I can still remember."
He raised an eyebrow, "Memories which you can still remember?"
Claire just nod, "Yeah, I don't want to talk about. I always get bummed whenever I think of that."
A smile appeared in his face "Don't worry, I won't force it to you." he chuckled, "Yet."
The blonde pouted and punched his shoulder making Rick fall on his face on the grass. She laughed and he grimaced.
The time that had stopped continued for them as their laughs filled the blonde's farm, laughing without a care in the world, without no one to bother them and no one to come between them.
"Hey," he sat up and looked into her eyes, "about the festival later, I was wondering if you would like to watch the fireworks with me?"
Her heart leaped and she squealed inside but outside, Claire just blushed and smiled, "Of course, I would lo- like that."
While they talk with their hearts' content, the two of them did not know that someone accidentally eavesdropped on their conversation. He was by the gate of the blonde's farm with his fist balled.
Jealousy bloomed in his heart. It hurts him to see the girl he loves to smile like that not to him but only to Rick of all people. Kai knows how much Claire loves him so does Rick too, most people will give up when something like that happens but not him, he will never ever think of giving up.
"Now that I have someone that I love genuinely." he muttered.
He looked at them again.
I'll let Rick have his fun for now but next time I won't let him.
The two of them talked for almost an hour before the festival but for Claire, it felt like they only talked for 30 minutes. For her time takes so fast, after all, she was having fun.
-ooo-
"Hey!"
Ann towed her to the inn, gripping her wrist tightly as if she's just an empty sack. Claire asked the waitress why but she just told her to not to talk. As they enter the inn, the blonde saw Popuri, dressed with a purple sundress.
"Uh-oh. I'm having a serious Déjà vu here." Claire raised an eyebrow, "What's with the get up, Pop?"
Popuri giggled, "Oh this? Just dressing up for the occasion. We always do this every end of summer."
"We?" she stole a glance at Ann, "You mean Ann wears a dress?"
Ann just hissed and Popuri laughed, "I know it's unbelievable but yes, she wears a dress."
The waitress let go of Claire's wrist, "What is it not to believe to? I am a girl! It's in my nature to wear a dress! I was even wearing one when I'm just kid!"
Popuri just rolled her eyes and continued to fix her pink cottony hair. Ann started to undress herself, just letting her clothes on the floor, revealing her slim body to the blonde.
"So you dragged me here just to show your beautiful body, huh?" she frowned, "Well now you had shown it to me, can I go now?"
"Hah? Am I suppose to take that as a compliment or as one of your unintended sarcasm?" the waitress shook her head, "Nevermind that, since you want to know why I dragged you here, I'll tell you now."
Claire's spine chilled as Ann's eye glowed red and gave her a devil smile, she was about to run away when the waitress grabbed her wrist. The blonde tried to shake off Ann's hand but she's strong as a water buffalo. Rick's sister is just sitting on a stool by the counter, facing a small mirror, applying light pink lipstick on her thin lips.
The waitress started to undress Claire from her dirty clothes revealing her white skin. Ann completely undressed the blonde without hassle albeit Claire is giving her all to stop the waitress from stripping her.
"Hey, we ne-"
The door opened revealing Kai with a grin in his face but as soon as he saw Claire and Ann in their bras and panties, it disappeared and his face heats up. The blonde's body froze it's either because of the cold summer wind or the embarrassment.
"The dress is all dried up now!" Mary yelled as she goes down the stairs, wearing her blouse and panty. The librarian stopped on her tracks the moment she saw Kai, with his red face, looking directly at Claire.
"Uhm... Nice body Claire."
PAK!
-ooo-
Six o' clock in the evening, the time of the festival has arrived. Everybody is at the beach already, waiting for the time for the fireworks show. Each of everyone are enjoying their time near the shore. Ann with Stu, May, and Cliff, making sand castles by the sand near the shore. Karen with her family, Elli being the guinea pig for Trent's horrible concoction, Gray and Saibara taking care of the last minute preparations for the show, Duke and Manna talking with each other, Lilia and Elen making a crochet, and Popuri comforting Kai whose cheek is glowing with a small hand print. But Claire just sat on the sand at the corner of the beach by herself.
"Homesick?"
Claire looked at the person who suddenly appeared beside her, its Rick. She just let out a sigh and nod, the blonde doesn't feel like talking after that mishap at the inn earlier. As ridiculous as it sounds, Claire felt violated at that time, no man has ever seen her in her underwear before and it looked like Kai was the first.
I wish it could have been Rick. She said to herself.
The blonde buried her face in her palm, hiding her flushed face from the man beside her. Rick gave her a suspicious look and he caught a glimpse of her dress.
A smile formed from his lips, "Wow, Yuu was right, it does look good on you."
"What?" she looked at the dress that Ann made her forcibly wear, "Does Yuu has something to do with this?"
Rick scratched his head, "You could say that. Actually, she knew about the festival, but not just this festival, she knew all the events that the town holds every year. So, Yuu sent that dress via Zack and trusted it to Ann. I don't really know why."
Her eye twitch, "I can think of one reason why she gave it to Ann." Claire's eyes accidentally landed on Karen.
"You still feel awkward around Karen?"
She frowned, "It's not that I feel awkward. I just," she trailed off.
"You want to avoid conflict as much as possible, right?" the blonde just nod, he held her hand and gave Claire a reassuring smile, "If she ever tries to hurt you, I'll be there to protect you. I will not let her or anyone to hurt you."
Her cheeks warmed up, "Gee, thanks Rick." she giggled, "I'll be sure to rely on that." they both laugh and she looked at him with grin on her face, "Since it's the festival today, you need to dress formally."
The blonde suddenly snatched his glasses, Rick complains and tried to get it back from her but Claire is a tough nut. They were practically wrestling over a simple pair of glasses up to the point the two fell over the sand.
It was an awkward position, Rick ended up over her and Claire ended up under him. Their faces are 3 inches close to each other, their noses almost touch, their breaths mixed as they breathe at the same time and they stare at each other not caring if someone is looking at them right now. Rick slowly inched his face closer to the blonde, when Claire felt it, her body responded by heating up and her face reddens more. She angled her head and readied herself from what is going to happen next but was interrupted by the sound and spectacular lights caused by the fireworks.
"Wow! It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, still lying on her back
Rick looked at her and saw Claire's eyes sparkle as she stare with awe at the fireworks, "Yeah, beautiful."
"I'm glad that you asked me out Rick," she turned her attention to him, "I really am glad."
They both smiled and their faces are illuminated with the different palettes of the fireworks. As a big firework explodes and decorates the sky, the two of them finally shared a kiss.
Time for them has stopped again. Rick's kiss got deeper every second, he can feel the blonde's body respond to his kiss. Claire craned her hands to his neck and returned the red headed boy's kiss.
They kissed each other while feeling each other's warmth, not caring if someone or everybody is cheering, teasing or whistling. All they care is that the two of them are together and sharing a kiss. Claire broke the kiss, gasping for air, leaving a string of saliva that connects from her thin lips to Rick's. They laughed and pressed their foreheads.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the Mineral Town, Kai gawks at them with a frown drawn in his face while sitting on the with his legs crossed. Unbelievable, he said to himself.
"I never thought that he'll ever go that far. Who knew?"
Popuri sneered, "You don't know everthing about my bro Kai." she stole a glance at them, "Desperate time calls for desperate measures." she said with a smile and slapped a bag of ice in his cheek.
Kai grunted, hissed and groaned, "Damn... That stings like fuck. Do you really have to place the ice bag in that matter?"
"Oh just shut up and stop complaining! I'm angry at you!" Popuri hmp-ed, "You did not even said 'sorry' to Claire but instead told her what she doesn't want to hear!" she shook her head, "Honestly, soiling Claire's impurity! That is unforgivable!"
"Could you do me a solid and don't tell it to your brother."
Popuri glared at him and pressed the ice bag into his face much harder.
As the last firework blast into the beautiful and starry night, Rick and Claire continue to cuddle, enjoying each other's company.
"I love you."
"And I love you too..."
~FIN~
'Tis all of it... I finally finished this fanfic! Hurrah for me! It took 2 years to finish this one. Thank you for all those people who read, reviewed, followed and added this fanfic to their favorites... LOVE YOU A LOTS and to you, who is reading this stupid message and dedication whatnots at the end, thank you for taking a small amount of time in your hands to read this silly, silly fanfic *laughs*... 'Till next time!
Oh yeah... Check out my other fanfics! PEACE OUT!
-雨